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battery woes and mainstream alternatives

Well the now one year four month old battery I had installed in my FZ1 has failed on my three times now. Failed on me- i mean failed to supply enough amps to start the motorcycle. I ride the bike almost daily and tend to keep the revs well above that which is needed to supply full voltage from the charging system. The battery is an off brand sealed gel type I purchased new from a local dismantling shop. The battery is ridiculously heavy, 15-16lbs, and takes of a great deal of the space under the seat. I am toying with the idea of building a more compact battery using individual cells purchased from a hobby store. I have heard of the this being pretty easy to do and a nice way to save some money, weight and space.

Do any of you have experience with this type of battery project? Anyone know what type of cells to buy?

I know it may be more practical to just buy a regular battery but the extra space would be nice, and shed a few pounds.. why not! I enjoy tinkering and finally I have a little bit more free time on my hands.

Re: battery woes and mainstream alternatives

There was a thread on this a couple of years ago. One of the members did the same thing with lithium ion batteries if I remember correctly. Do some digging and you will find it.

If I remember correctly he had good success with his home made battery.

2Crn 7-14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Re: battery woes and mainstream alternatives

Just a word of caution... There are different types of Lithium batteries. The project listed in the link above calls for LifePO4 batteries which are safer than something like a LiPo battery. You mentioned getting your batteries at a hobby store but, "I think?", very few hobby stores carry LifePO4 batteries these days. At least nothing very large. LiPos have really taken over because they have a higher energy density ratio. LiPos get you more bang for the buck but at the cost of safety.

I just want to make sure you're aware of the difference. LiPos have to be treated a certain way in regards to the charge / discharge cycle, and their storage or they can go up in a ball of fire. Also LiPos do not like to get hot. When the current draw becomes large enough to get the battery hot, they will expand and become very unstable. Over charging will also cause LiPos to go boom. I'm always reading about someone charging their LiPos incorrectly and setting their house on fire. Sometimes LiPos go boom even if you treat them right. The key is to monitor the battery's internal resistance and when one cell starts to go bad it's internal resistance will spike. When that happens, get rid of it.

I can't really speak to the safety of LifePo4 batteries other than I know they are supposed to be safer than LiPos. I use LiPos in my RC helicopters and I'm very careful with how I handle them them. I know exactly how much energy I'm pulling out and how much I put back in with every cycle. Just my 2 cents but I'd forget building your own lithium battery pack. Admittedly, it's a cool DIY project but I'm not sure the risk is worth the reward. Especially since you can get a Shorai LFX Lithium battery at a very reasonable cost with little concern of setting your arse on fire.

Re: battery woes and mainstream alternatives

one cautionary word is how they charge. You can see a lot of videos about lithium battery fires during charging, or short.

There are bulk, topping and trickle modes of charge, and during each the charger selects combinations of either "constant current or constant voltage". If you charge a LIPO or LI ION incorrectly it WILL catch fire, not may.

motorcycle charge systems are not that sophisticated

1968- "two stroke power cost only a fraction of what had to be spent to get the same from a four stroke"

Re: battery woes and mainstream alternatives

definitely good information you all brought up. Thank you. I ended up calculating it all out and building a battery would be more cost prohibitive and with in my opinion less reliable than one purchased with a warranty. I ended up with a gel type from cycle gear with a four year replacement warranty... I figure I will have hit my 50K miles target by then and this bike will be a long gone. Also thinking about the weight difference.... what is five pounds difference on a 450 lb bike?... not noticeable on the street, that is what it is